Don't Fool Yourself
by ournoisyhearts
Summary: Dalton AU. Blaine Anderson was just the shy, blushing schoolboy that for some reason intrigued him. Sebastian wasn't supposed to actually care. Seblaine.


**Don't Fool Yourself**

Sebastian gets deported back to the states the summer before his junior year, after an unfortunate incident involving an older Parisian male, alcohol, and some photographers. His mother declares that he can't be seen "ruining her reputation" or something of the sort, so she ships him off to live with his stoic father back in Ohio.

Fucking _Ohio._

A prestigious attorney, Sebastian's father immediately enrolls him in the nearest boarding school for the upcoming school year and then resumes his life pre-return-of-Sebastian, which basically involves recurring business trips that leave his son with the house in Westerville all to himself. Sebastian isn't complaining. The lack of attention is nothing new; ever since their separation back when he was younger, his parents had constantly bickered over who had to "put up with the problem child." Their referring to him as if he were an inanimate object would be amusing, if it didn't piss him off quite so much. He likes to think that he's a bit more memorable than, say, a box, but it's his parents' problem if they think otherwise.

Besides, he grew used to the neglect a long time ago.

August in Ohio is surprisingly mild, the temperatures remaining moderate enough that Sebastian can't find reason to complain. This is unfortunate, because complaining happens to be a specialty of his; it's a step towards getting what he wants, after all. He uses the weeks leading up to the start of school to explore his new surroundings, which turn out to be incredibly bland. The only thing that provides solace is the gay bar in a town a few hours away, Scandals, which he ends up driving out to once or twice a week just for some type of entertainment. Overall, Ohio is basically the most _boring_ place he's ever lived in, and that includes the two months spent in Nebraska with his great aunt when he was seven. He's going stir-crazy by the time September rolls around, and nearly rejoices in the idea of having school to occupy his time. Of course, he would never admit to this.

His first day at Dalton Academy passes uneventfully. Another junior named Jeff has been assigned to show him around, and the blonde is far too perky for Sebastian's taste, but he's nice enough. He leads Sebastian to all of his classes and even convinces him to sit with his friends at lunch, a group of boys who are in some kind of singing group called the Warblers. They all seem incredibly close and comfortable around one another—laughing, chatting, and even breaking out into song once or twice. It's tooth achingly sweet, and Sebastian sits through it with a slight scowl, though he's secretly grateful to have company on his first day. One of the other boys, Nick, manages to coerce him into attending their rehearsal afterschool, and Sebastian reluctantly agrees. When he arrives in the common room at three o'clock, the group is already in chaos, shuffling and humming around to a rendition of _Hey Soul Sister_ by Train. The sight is dorky and ridiculous and not at all Sebastian's scene, but he finds himself being pulled into the number anyway, joining in whenever he happens to know the words.

That's how he ends up with the Warblers.

They embrace him excitedly, complimenting his talent and bringing him into the fold like a long-lost brother. Between their daily rehearsals and his insanely heavy class load, Sebastian is soon immersed in life at Dalton, hardly sparing his parents a passing thought. He still heads out to Scandals every few weeks (because an all-boys school doesn't necessarily mean all-gay, and Sebastian needs some relief every once in awhile), but other than that, his life becomes highly routine. Wake up, eat, learn, sing, eat, sleep. The occasional sex is included, plus some wasted time with Nick or Jeff or one of the other guys, but things are simple. Easy. He even manages to stay relatively unattached, joking and talking with the Warblers without growing close to them. The constant moves have taught him to always be prepared.

Just in case.

* * *

On an average Tuesday in October, he and Nick are making their way out into the courtyard to meet up with the rest of the guys at lunch. It's relatively warm for this time of year, and apparently, the Warblers have decided to make the most of it, all gathered on a patch of grass near the steps to the science building. Nick is busy drawling on about some trip he and Jeff took to Six Flags over the summer, earning a series of amused looks from Sebastian, because, really? The blonde was all Nick seemed to talk about. The two weren't exactly subtle. After awhile, Sebastian tunes the boy's voice out and gazes around absently, scanning over the scattered students until his eyes come to rest on one lone figure in particular.

The boy is curled up under a tree near the edge of the courtyard, back leaning against the trunk and one knee propped up as he reads from a thick paperback novel. His hair is gelled down flat, blazer abandoned on the ground next to him as his eyes dart across the page in front of him. Sebastian is suddenly _dying_ to get a closer look, his curiosity piqued by this strange boy who he hasn't seen before until now.

"Hey, who is that?" He asks, nudging Nick sharply with his elbow to grab his attention. Nick hisses and lifts his head to follow Sebastian's line of sight, his brows rising slightly.

"Who, the guy with the book? I think his name's Blaine. Don't know much about him, except that he transferred here last year."

"Explains why I haven't seen him, then," Sebastian comments idly, his eyes still glued to the boy, who is now digging through his bag in search of something. Nick turns his gaze to the taller boy, a questioning look on his face.

"Yeah, he doesn't really talk to anyone. A couple of us made an effort at first, but it seemed like he wanted to be left alone."

A _hm_ filters out of Sebastian's throat at that as he tracks Blaine's movements, watching him continue to rummage through his bag. After a moment, he spares a short glance at Nick and mumbles "I'll be right over" before walking determinedly across the courtyard, his steps only slowing as approaches the tree Blaine is sitting under. Now that he can examine him more closely, Sebastian realizes that Blaine really is sort of adorable. He can tell that his dark hair is actually rather curly beneath all the gel, and that he's on the smaller side, height practically dwarfed by the trunk he is leaning against. Before he can get caught staring, Sebastian closes the rest of the distance between them and pointedly clears his throat, Blaine's head jerking up and his hands stilling inside of his bag as he blinks nervously, eyes darting a glance at Sebastian and then dropping back down again.

"Looking for something?" Sebastian asks, taking note of the way Blaine seems to hunch in on himself, his palms falling into his lap.

"I, um- can't find my pencil," he responds, voice so quiet that Sebastian has to crane his neck downwards in order to the catch the words. Once he can finally make them out, he swings his backpack around and digs around the front pocket until his fingers emerge with the desired object, arm stretching out to offer it to Blaine.

"Here, you can borrow mine," he curves his mouth up into a smile, attempting to display an air of _it's alright, I'm harmless._ Blaine, however, refuses to look up, his hands fumbling to shut the novel propped open on his chest and his back straightening as he begins to gather his things.

"T-that's okay, I was just heading out anyway," he mumbles. Sebastian tilts his head, observing, as Blaine climbs to his feet and hooks his satchel over his shoulder, his chin still pressed to his chest and his feet shuffling nervously on the spot. Finally, after an awkward moment of silence, Blaine reaches down to pick up his abandoned blazer and takes a step back, lifting his head to stare at some aimless spot above Sebastian's shoulder.

"T-thank you, though..." he stammers out, voice lilting off at the end in a question. Sebastian watches as a soft flush climbs its way up the boy's neck, the sight only causing his earlier smile to widen.

"Sebastian. Sebastian Smythe," he supplies, tucking the forgotten pencil behind his ear and inclining his head in a nod. "I'll see you around, Blaine."

And if he catches Blaine sneaking a look at him out of the corner of his eye while he walks away, well, he'll count it as an accomplishment.

* * *

Sebastian is...intrigued, to say the least.

He spends most of his lunches after that examining the boy from a distance, ignoring the voices of the other Warblers surrounding him in favor of pondering the enigma that is Blaine Anderson (he found the boy's last name after surreptitiously sifting through last year's yearbook. Sue him). From time to time, he'll catch Nick shooting him a knowing look, but he tries to think nothing of it. Blaine is just so...different. Based on what Sebastian has seen, the boy doesn't talk to _anyone._ He's constantly walking the halls of Dalton by himself, his head down and some type of book under his arm. Sebastian is dying for another excuse to go up and make conversation, if only to see that adorable blush stain Blaine's cheeks, but he has yet to find an opportunity. It kills him, this casual observation that he's been doing, but Blaine seems to be worth the wait.

He's a challenge, and a good one at that.

One Sunday afternoon, Sebastian decides to head to the library to try and make some headway on his project for his AP History class, and discovers Blaine at a table by himself, flipping through a textbook that must be thicker than his own head. The sight ignites something akin to excitement in Sebastian's chest, but he shoves the feeling down and makes his way over to the boy instead, a smirk already present on his face.

"Is homework your favorite pastime or something?"

Without waiting for an acknowledgement, Sebastian deposits his books on the table and drops into the seat across from Blaine, catching the startled look on the other boy's face just before that tell-tale blush creeps onto his face. He folds his arms across his chest and leans back into his chair, head cocking to one side as he waits for a reply. Blaine has abandoned his textbook and is now gripping the edge of the table tightly, his knuckles blotching red and white from the exertion.

"I- of course not," he breathes, and is that _snark_ in his voice? Sebastian immediately perks up, his smirk growing as he gazes across the table at the other boy.

"Every time I see you, you're carrying some sort of book," he explains. The red in Blaine's cheeks darkens as he hesitantly loosens his grip on the table to scratch at the back of his neck, shoulders lifting in a helpless shrug.

"I like...reading."

"I never would have guessed," Sebastian deadpans. The corners of Blaine's mouth edge up ever so slightly, obvious enough even though his eyes are still down, and the sight warms Sebastian all the way through. _This is progress._

"Shut up," Blaine retorts, eyes suddenly widening as the words leave his mouth and his head lifting to send a worried look at Sebastian. To his credit, Sebastian doesn't blanch, and instead just appears to be satisfied, his grin wide and his eyes crinkling at the corners.

"So he _does_ bite," he wonders, voice slightly awed. Blaine rolls his eyes, but his head stays up, gaze bouncing around between Sebastian's face and the table in front of them.

"I..." he starts to say, but cuts himself off and shuts his mouth again. A few seconds later, "...whatever."

"No, hey, don't let my comments stop you. I can tell there's just this part of you that's _dying _to make conversation, deep, deep down."

And then, the most miraculous thing happens.

Blaine _laughs._

It's timid, more an exhale of breath than anything, but that tiny smile is still on his face and Sebastian feels as if he's on top of the fucking _world._

Why hasn't anyone else tried to see what this boy has to offer?

"I'm quite the chatterbox," Blaine agrees, brown eyes twinkling as he gazes up at Sebastian for a split second before looking away. Any trace of the shyness in his voice is gone, and if it weren't for the quiet volume of it, no one would guess that five minutes ago, he'd been a blushing mess.

"What's your story, Blaine?" Sebastian asks abruptly, sitting up in his chair while a pensive expression crosses his face. Blaine instantly dims at that, the smile slipping from his face, and Sebastian wants to smack himself upside the head. _Stupid, stupid, stupid,_ he chants, but he can't take it back now. Blaine has his hands clasped in front of him and his head is down again, voice muffled as he speaks.

"Don't have one." The excuse is a weak one, and they both know it. Sebastian has caught more glimpses of the real Blaine Anderson in this short interaction than most people have probably seen in a year, or hell, forever, and he's aching to find out what forces Blaine into his shy, timid, shell.

Luckily, he has plenty of time to figure it out.

* * *

On Friday evening, Sebastian is making his way back to his dorm after a particularly grueling Warblers rehearsal, feet aching in his dress shoes from the constant spinning and side-stepping. He's just rounding the corner as he leaves the common room, hands shoved into his trouser pockets, when a soft murmuring reaches his ears and has him pausing mid-step. The sound is filtering over from the direction of the grand hall, and Sebastian carefully edges his way along the wall and peers outwards only to spot Blaine at the bottom of the stairs, a notebook and pen in hand as he continues to sing under his breath. Sebastian almost does a double take; after all, this is _Blaine,_ the boy who hardly speaks, much less _sings _in a place where there is a risk of people hearing.

His voice, though...Sebastian can't even describe it.

It's careful and slightly raspy, probably from a lack of use, but his tone is smooth and rich and sweet like honey, enveloping Sebastian in a sensation that he can't quite name. He wants to just sit down right there and listen to Blaine _forever,_ but that would be ridiculous, not to mention pathetic. Instead, he chooses to step out of his hiding spot and slowly make his way towards the other boy, the echoing of his footsteps in the deserted hall evident almost immediately. Blaine's voice dies off sharply as he looks up, his eyes impossibly wide.

"S-Sebastian," he squeaks, rushing to flip his notebook closed. "I- what...what are you doing out here?"

"Warblers practice," the taller boy replies, stopping in front of Blaine with an arched brow. "Speaking of...you have a lovely voice."

"Y-you heard," Blaine mumbles, and it's not exactly a question. Sebastian nods, despite the fact that Blaine can't see him, thanks to his gaze being glued to his feet. Lowering himself onto the step beside Blaine, he rests his arms on his thighs and turns his head to watch the boy closely, his expression imploring.

"I think there's a lot I hear that other people don't," he murmurs, and can tell that Blaine realizes the meaning behind the words when the other boy bites down on his lip and turns away, fingers clenching around the notebook in his lap.

"You...you don't know me," he whispers. Sebastian tilts his head minutely and continues with his scrutiny, Blaine shifting uncomfortably under his gaze.

"I'm trying to," he says after awhile. Blaine simply pushes up to his feet, notebook clutched to his chest and his forehead wrinkled as he stares at the wall opposite them.

"Well, don't," he retorts, almost angrily, "I'm fine on my own."

With that, he's gone.

* * *

Sebastian gives Blaine some distance after that.

He still tracks the boy's every move, eyes following him through the halls and observing him in the courtyard, but they don't run into each other alone again. Sebastian tries to throw himself into rehearsals for the Warblers' upcoming Sectionals performance, but his mind is elsewhere. Nick is shooting him questioning looks nearly all the time now, his eyebrows furrowed and his gaze confused, but Sebastian takes care to avoid being cornered and asked "what's the matter?"

Nothing's wrong. He's just...distracted.

One week before they're due to perform, Nick finally catches him in the common room right after practice ends, his fingers gripping Sebastian's blazer sleeve and tugging him over.

"Dude, what's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," Sebastian snipes, pulling his arm free of the boy's grasp.

"It's obviously not nothing," Nick exclaims, letting out a sigh of exasperation. "Look, Sebastian, I know you don't exactly like to 'talk' or anything like that, but—"

"Exactly, so why would I talk to you now?" He replies, taking a step back. "Even if something _was _wrong, which isn't the case..."

"You've been extra pissy lately. I mean, you're always short tempered, but the past few weeks, you've just been...off. You always seem dazed, like you're thinking about something else, and if I wasn't afraid you'd punch me out for it, I'd say you were having relationship troubles or something."

Sebastian visibly blanches at that, his eyes narrowing. "I don't do relationships, Nick. I do sex, plain and simple, which, come to think of it, I haven't had any of in awhile..."

Nick's voice stops his train of thought dead, tone inquisitive. "It's that Blaine guy, isn't it?"

Folding his arms over his chest, Sebastian immediately grows defensive. "What about Blaine?"

"You like him." Plain, simple. Yet somehow, it sets Sebastian off.

"I hardly know the guy. You think that after a few stilted conversations, I'm suddenly in love with him or something? He's cute, sure, but he doesn't exactly have much else going for him, unless you like them mute."

Nick's mouth gapes open, then snaps closed, his head shaking as if in disbelief. The look causes Sebastian to roll his eyes and part his lips to point out the ridiculousness of it, when abruptly, he realizes that Nick's gaze is focused somewhere over his shoulder.

He hardly has time to spin around and snatch a glimpse of a familiar figure dashing out of the common room, the door banging shut behind him.

* * *

Blaine is avoiding him.

Well, to be quite honest, he's not anymore absent than he was before, but now that Sebastian is actively seeking him out, it's becoming increasingly infuriating.

After becoming aware of the fact that Blaine had heard his entire spiel in the common room, something had clenched up in his gut and now refuses to disappear. All Sebastian wants to do is find Blaine and _apologize,_ assure him that he hadn't meant a word, but even that's proving impossible to do. He's not sure when, but somewhere amongst their limited conversations, a part of Sebastian had come to legitimately _care_ about the other boy. He thinks that part of him even existed the day Nick called him out on it, and that perhaps that was why he had been so defensive.

It's too late now, though. Blaine obviously doesn't want to hear his mustered excuses, and Sebastian resigns himself to moping, dragging his feet through his days and mentally kicking himself for screwing things up so royally.

The day before Sectionals is when the rest of the Warblers finally crack.

As soon as Sebastian enters the common room for their final rehearsal, he's bombarded by blazers, the boys circling him like a hawk stalking its prey. The sensation leaves him feeling a bit uneasy, and he lets out a nervous laugh, his hands held out in surrender.

"Uh, guys?" He asks, eyes darting around the circle of familiar faces. "What's going on?"

"You're depressed," Jeff states, and the rest of the boys nod in agreement. Sebastian stifles an irritated sigh and crosses his arms, a frown marring his features.

"I'm not depressed," he insists.

"Right. So that's why you've spent all week with that horribly defeated look on your face," Nick adds. Sebastian's features twist, and he's about to demand _what look_ when the boy points straight at him. "That look."

"I get that you guys are concerned or whatever, but I'm fine. I swear."

"You're not fine! You're mopey and yelling at people all the time and we can't win Sectionals tomorrow if you're not completely in this."

Sebastian catches Jeff's hard gaze and purses his lips, one hand running anxiously through his hair. "I don't have to be happy to sing and dance well."

"So you _are _depressed!" Trent pipes in, the _a-ha!_ evident in his voice.

"I'm not depressed!"

"You're sad about Blaine," Nick declares. The rest of the Warblers all nod solemnly, and Sebastian's palms curl into fists at his sides, his shoulders slumping.

"I'm not _sad_ about some guy I don't know anything about," he presses. The faces around him just stare with unwavering certainty, and finally, Sebastian groans, head ducking slightly. "Okay, so maybe I'm a little pissed at myself..."

"You have to apologize!" Jeff cries.

"You don't think I've tried? I can't find him! Whenever I try, he's...hiding."

"We'll help you," Nick decides, chin jutting out defiantly. "Jeff and I will get him to come up here after Sectionals. The rest is up to you."

As annoying as the entire intervention is, Sebastian still finds himself feeling surprisingly grateful.

* * *

It's a struggle, trying to prepare a number last minute on top of their Sectionals performance, but the guys manage to tough it out, and by the time Nick and Jeff drag a reluctant Blaine into the common room, Sebastian's nerves have settled.

He _really_ hopes this works.

"So, I'm sort of an ass," he begins. Blaine's eyes are wide and nervous, glancing from Sebastian to the group of Warblers gathered behind him with a look of absolute anxiety. Sebastian rushes to continue speaking, before Blaine can slip away. "I just wanted to apologize...for what I said. About you. I didn't mean any of it. And I know that sounds pathetic as hell, as if I'm making up excuses, but it's true. I don't think you're boring. I'm sort of fascinated by you, actually." He exhales the words all in one breath, a hesitant smile appearing on his face while Blaine maintains his deer-caught-in-the-headlights expression. "I can tell you're about to have a panic attack, so, um, I'm just going to sing now, and then you can go. I promise."

Blaine is blinking furiously, mouth dropping open, but Sebastian gestures for the group behind him to begin, and the room is instantly swept up in a chorus of notes.

_Now I stared at you  
From across the room  
Until both my eyes were faded  
I was in a rush  
I was out of luck  
Now I'm so glad I waited  
Well you were almost there  
Almost mine...yeah  
They say love ain't fair  
But I'm doing fine_

Slipping forward from the rest of the Warblers, Sebastian slowly makes his way towards where Blaine precariously stands, forcing down his usual sarcasm in an effort to show the boy just how honest he's being.

_Cause I swear it's you  
I swear it's you  
I swear it's you that I've waited for  
I swear it's you  
I swear it's you  
I swear it's you that my heart beats for  
And it ain't gonna stop  
No it just won't stop_

He can tell that Blaine's resolve is slowly weakening, his neck turning a blotchy shade of red, and the sight causes a crooked smile to appear on Sebastian's face as he circles the other boy, belting out the next few lines.

_You take this hand  
You take this heart  
Stir my bones  
From a thousand miles apart  
Feels so cold without you  
Like its ten shades of winter  
And I need the sun  
_

Blaine's entire face is flushed at this point, the tiniest of grins tugging at his lips, and Sebastian feels absolutely _victorious,_ boldly reaching out and pulling the boy forward into the fold, the rest of the Warblers condensing around them as they finish out the song.

_And I swear it's you  
I swear it's you  
I swear it's you I waited for  
I swear it's you  
I swear it's you  
I swear it's you that my heart beats for  
I swear it's you  
I swear it's you  
I swear it's you that I've waited for  
I swear it's you  
I swear it's you  
I swear it's you that my heart beats for  
And it ain't gonna stop  
It just won't stop_

Sebastian Smythe doesn't make these kinds of gestures. He doesn't chase after a shy, blushing schoolboy like some lovesick fool, and he most definitely doesn't serenade them with a group of students in blazers backing him up. But when he takes in the excited grin on Blaine's face, the way his eyes glisten as he turns and peers up at Sebastian, the risk of damaging his indifferent reputation doesn't seem to matter so much anymore.

It's only once the music ends, the other Warblers attempting to shuffle quietly out of the common room and leaving the two boys alone, that Blaine's shyness seems to return, his eyes lowering as he raises a nervous hand to rub at the back of his neck.

"T-that was..." he trails off, seeming to struggle to form words. After a moment, he gives up, gaze lifting hesitantly as a small smile pulls at his mouth. "I forgive you. I guess."

"You guess?" Sebastian scoffs playfully, placing a palm over his chest in mock offense. "I gather my excessively large circle of friends to appease you with song, and you _guess_ you forgive me? Who knew that Blaine Anderson would be so hard to—"

His final words are repressed by the sudden brush of a pair of lips across his own in a chaste kiss, Blaine immediately falling back onto his heels afterwards as his face goes completely red. Sebastian is struck dumb for a second, eyes blinking but unseeing, until he finally comprehends what has just occurred, and an incredibly self-satisfied grin overtakes his face.

"Did you just—"

Blaine shakes his head, furiously avoiding the taller boy's gaze.

"You totally did. You just kissed me."

His shoulders hunch as he smiles in embarrassment, still shaking his head and not saying anything.

"Blaine Anderson just kissed me. I'm going to swoon. Time to announce it to the world: Blaine Anderson kissed little old _me!_"

An abrupt laugh escapes Blaine's throat as he peers shyly up at Sebastian, his eyelids fluttering and his nose crinkling adorably.

"Why do I like you, again? You're incorrigible," he mumbles. Sebastian reaches out and grasps gently at Blaine's hip, tugging him in closer as he tosses the smaller boy a wink.

"Sure, but if I wasn't, we wouldn't be here."

Blaine seems to ponder the statement for a moment before rolling his eyes in surrender. "I guess you're right."

Sebastian grins once more, white-toothed and content. "I'm always right," he murmurs, and any retort Blaine might have is soon lost against his lips.

* * *

**Everything I write just turns to fluff, I swear. My apologies. This truly did come out of nowhere. I just really wanted Sebastian bringing shy!Blaine out of his shell. That sort of happened here, right? Maybe?**

**Song used is "Won't Stop" by OneRepublic. I even had singing in a fic. Someone shoot me.**


End file.
